Life on the Nemesis
by Crashrox92
Summary: Takes place at the end of ROTF - Taken away from her world and the Bots, Ellen must now survive living among the Decepticons, slowly deteriorating over time, physically and mentally, provide Intel in exchange for a swift merciful death? or Die slowly in hopes she will be rescued? And on a ship of Cons is there any kind of aid? kind of an continuing story for my OC please R and R.
1. Taken

**A/N this time Ellen's living with the decepticons :S will she survive long enough to get home? will her mentality break? and is she truly alone on the nemesis?  
**

**i got some requests to go through ROTF similar to that of my other story 'little distractions' but i tried to think in my head what to do with it but to be fair its such a mess and making a fanfic out of it makes my brain hurt ... i still have mental scars :p but instead we have a survival fic and for future warning and i'm really sorry Ellen TT_TT but there will be torture...but that won't be for a while yet. please R + R :D  
**

* * *

**Taken**

Optimus rose into the sky with his newly acquired ability of flight, Ellen ran after him to confirm for herself that he has taken down the fallen, as well as to see he was okay afterwards.

Though the sand was not easy to run across, its texture as well as how exhausted she was from the constant running, dodging cons and the damage to her mentality was a challenge in itself.

she cupped a hand over her vision as she headed in the direction of the harvester, a flash of blue was seen moments later in confirmation he deactivated the machine or in some cases completely wrecked the thing, but she also seen he was tackled back down to the ground, she made a rough estimate of where they had landed but headed in that general direction, though she could not see Megatron nor Starscream.

_"where are you?" _she thought as she had gotten herself between a large forest of pillars though she could not see either Optimus or the fallen.

the world had given her an answer as strong feel of vibrations occurred under her feet, "hmm, that way." she induced.

Though she did make it, the battle was already won as Ellen ran down the sand bank to peer behind the pillars, though she could only vaguely make out the arms of the fallen which drooped over the side of the pillar he was up against leaking energon over the tips of his fingers, Optimus stood triumphantly beside his empty shell.

relieved, Ellen sighed and couldn't help but form a wide grin on her face for it was a mere quarter of an hour ago that he was dead and now he lives and the many days she had been separated from him she couldn't wait any longer, she pushed herself for one last run as the muscles in her legs ached for rest.

But that reunion was cut short, for she had let her guard down and her thoughts and her feelings turned to instant fear as a large clawed hand took a harsh wrap around her waist, her vision was kept on the back of Optimus but it felt as though he were getting farther and farther away as she came in vision of Megatrons glowing red eyes and growling breath.

"I am **not **leaving prime with the advantage." His speech was slurred and he spoke with anger but a slight tinge of delight lingered in his tone as a laugh began to boil in his throat, "and with you i can gain more than **one**."

Ellen looked him over his whole one side of his face was completely torn off as well as an arm which constantly sparked and dripped with energon.

Ellen's eyes filled with fear but not at the sight of megatron but for his intentions, she was so tired and she just wanted to see her father, Starscream took off as Megatron began to do the same "put me down **now!**" she screamed in his face her voice was dry.

"You dare speak to me!" he roared.

"I'm not afraid of you; you're a god damn coward! Taking me as a **flesh **shield to your crippled state!" she screamed back.

"Enough!" was his response as he flicked her head hard, knocking her out as he become Air Bourne but lingered long enough for Optimus to face him.

"Megatron! Release her!" Optimus cried though Megatron in that split second had already taken to a substantial height, but Optimus still attempted to activate his flight, but one of the booster packs wasn't working and instead merely fell from his shoulders.

the sight was truly amusing to Megatron "_pathetic_" he hissed under his breath before raising his voice for him to hear, "How will it feel prime? Knowing she won't return with you? Does it anger you?" he said mockingly as he ascended higher.

Optimus growled at his provokes.

"Does it sadden you? Does it frustrate you that you cannot see what i will do to her?!" he asked raising his voice as he then tossed Ellen at Starscream who was not expecting it as he nearly dropped her like a bar of soap. "can you not even perform a simple task as 'catching'?!" he scolded.

"apologies master b-but why must i hold this pound of flesh?" he said rather disgusted at the human form he draped by the leg.

"we are ascending into space you idiot! and if you haven't noticed i am currently lacking the use of an alt mode!" he roared making Starscream nearly drop her again, but eventually transformed and adjusted the pressure with Ellen as a passenger.

"back to the Nemesis." Megatron ordered as he gave Optimus a mocking grin before retreating.

"Megatron!" Optimus yelled as he pointed his armed weapon at him...he hesitated, he had to retract he could hit her, he could not do anything to stop them, "no!" was the only thing he muster as a tiny speck of what represented Starscream and Megatron went out of sight. "Megatron!"

Even with a broken booster he still attempted to become orbit, "don't be fool prime you'd only plummet to your own death." Ratchet said from behind him with Ironhide accompanying him.

"I cannot stand here and only watch." He protested.

"You can't do anything!" he retaliated as Optimus's face fell. Ratchet sighed, "I'm sorry..." he started before placing a hand on his shoulder "but we **will** get her back."

"I was saved from death but i still feel as though i am dying." He said looking up to the sky, to him it was though they had taken the sun, for his world has never been more dark.

* * *

Ellen eventually woke up, face down and her clothes were wet, she groaned and choked a few times as she held her head, the ground before her was not familiar, but then her eyes widened as past events reminded her of her situation.

She sprung to life as she threw herself up from the ground, she wasn't at the nest base, she was on a ship, the Nemesis. It was cold, it was humid, it was alien and the ceiling dripped of water that cold it hurt, "what the?" she managed to say as she shuddered at the cold environment.

she spun at a 360 degree angle taking in her surroundings what stood out from everything else was these blue sacks in fact all around her from above were blue sacks they were attached to the ship itself as though like a symbiotic relationship. "Hatchlings?" Ellen breathed out.

The hatchlings twitched inside and made high pitched growling noises, "there are thousands." She added as her mouth hung open.

"A sight not worthy of your lubricant filled sacks you call 'eyes.'" Came the voice of starscream as he came skulking in.

she quickly spun around as she got to the point, "Why am i here? I have nothing to give you." She spat.

"Well apparently you do, according to our 'master'." He said rolling his optics.

"Take me back." She demanded as an order.

Starscream merely threw back a laugh, "Either you are very bold or foolish for asking such a request in such a demanding tone." He said.

"Just, take, me, back" she said again grinding her teeth.

A grin crept over his face as he began to play with her head, "You are millions of light years from your home, how does this make you feel?" he said mockingly tilting his head to one side in fascination.

Ellen froze, within a group or when she **has **to be brave for others was no problem, but now she was on her own, and at the mercy of many decepticons... "y-your...your lying!" she yelled at him.

"Am i?" he said widening his grin.

She grew angry, he was messing with her, he must be...this isn't true! But she even began to doubt herself as she began to feel afraid and she tried her hardest to not show it to starscream, for to give him the satisfaction of seeing her this way was far worse then being afraid.

"W-where are we?" she stuttered but that fear was hard to repress.

"Finally, the positive signs that you are afraid, this has made my day." He said before turning.

Ellen stopped to think, she would take in her surroundings and try to find a way around them but the conditions were different and so it scared her, she couldn't think straight and she clenched her fist as she tried to force herself to remain calm, "i-i can't!" she suddenly exclaimed.

"Stop your howling and follow me." Starscream snapped.

"I'm not going anywhere with you unless its home." She said bitterly.

"Then you can remain here...with the hatchlings I'm sure we can wean them onto human flesh." He said grinning evilly again.

Ellen looked at the somewhat twitching sacks again as she glared at Starscream, she made her decision and followed for she could not gain anything from remaining where she was, but following an order from Starscream made her feel as though she could sink no lower.

* * *

The walk was silent, Ellen felt she was taking the long walk, the conditions were truly horrid and she rubbed her arms involuntary, she was so cold. "where are we going?" she finally spoke up.

"To your quarters." Starscream said blankly.

Ellen lifted her head in surprise, "m-my quarters?" she said as she frowned in suspicion, "i don't understand." She added.

Starscream quickly spun around to face her, "if you prefer to linger the hallways be my guest I'm sure the parasites will welcome your company." He said motioning to the wide open hallways that howled a chilling wind.

Ellen was silent but still wondered, what was there purpose in bringing her here? a pet? Mental payback? Interrogation? why does she get her own quarters? a hamster cage maybe, but her own room? were they playing with her? Were they hoping for her to lower her guard? "_They will not break me...i will just think of home and focus and that alone." _She thought to herself in determination.

The ship itself was in need of repair, Ellen had an urge to make a pun but quickly repressed it for she had to survive and she already knew that may require being sinking to a certain level of indignity.

"here." Starscream said simply as the doors opened on his approach, he then quickly brushed Ellen inside with his foot as he grinned at her mockingly as the doors shut behind on her.

Ellen turned around to observe her apparent new 'room', it was huge to say the least but wide, open and empty what stunned her though was what lay in front of her at the end of the room if she were staying for a 'good' reason this would be considered 'magnificent' for there was a large window that showed where she was. well... she saw the sun but not how she would see it if she were on earth and what the sun had shown was a reddish brick colored environment that was only a barren waste land...but truly a breath taking sight.

"Oh my god." She said as she pressed herself against the window, "m-mars?"

The huge fact of that made her slowly slump to the ground as she held her knees, "i...really am alone." She said, that reality hit her, Starscream spoke the truth.

As much as she tried to repress the fear and the sadness, she couldn't there was no one there to fool, to be strong for or to generally show off to, and so tears fell from her face drenching her sleeves at a substantial rate, never has she felt more vulnerable in her life.

* * *

**A/N as normal I'll see how this is perceived and then get to work on later chapters :D take care :)**


	2. Starscreams Dark Intent

**A/N would like to thank nightfury97 for giving Ellen a blanket ;3  
**

* * *

**Starscreams Dark Intentions, Barricades Intervention**

It had been two weeks since Ellen had been taken from earth and she remained in her position ever since, staring out to the stars knowing one of them was home.

They brought her food, it was mainly a decepticon grunt, and every time they would make sly comments of insults in cybertronian but she understood each one, such as "disgusting bag of flesh" or "let's see if it explodes when we throw it out into space."

They fed her like a dog with bits of scrap metal resembling bowl like shapes, it consisted of various fruits, vegetables, water and in the earlier days of her arrival there was a whole chicken...in the same state when it used to be alive she merely loathed at the poor thing, she wondered where they got the things but also thought if they were mocking her, or the fact they weren't human savvy when it came to nutrition.

She ate the food and drank the water for she had to...to survive, but she would not share any thoughts of being on the nemesis to anyone when she got home it would merely be a nightmare. She had no means of entertainment and instead would run the images of movies, memories and familiar faces through her mind, which helped.

She slept but it was a state of light sleeping and she had kept a pole of scrap metal close to her side as a weapon.

She had to last two days of extreme temperatures before finding a double sized blanket that lay just at the door. Another question of mockery came to her mind or they were observing her from afar for means of entertainment, but her numbed feet said otherwise and so she took it like a curious animal.

* * *

Her door opened again as it would about 10-15 times a day, she knew the sound of every decepticons footsteps by now and without turning around she knew them to be Starscreams and his meetings would consist of...weird gestures. He still insulted her but made remarks that if she were a femme he would make her his sparkmate? Or now and then he'd brush a clawed finger across her cheek and admire her ability to hide her fear. But Ellen merely put that to the back of her head, starscream was weird anyway and this was no different...in a sense...s-she hoped.

But with every Starscream visit, Ellen would look out to the stars instead of acknowledging him, "you will do well to recognize your master when he steps into a room." He said as he would **every time**.

Ellen was silent, though she did have a few things to say that she kept to herself, she had to bite her tongue this time.

Starscream vented his frustration of being ignored, "Look at me." He ordered, but she did not.

"Look at me!" he yelled, but she did not, however she noticed he was being pretty persistent this time...which made Ellen become on guard as she tensed herself up.

He then growled angrily as he took a grab for her, in quick response Ellen side rolled to avoid his grasp.

"Don't, touch me." She spat but her tone was dead.

He growled again but that turned to dark chuckling, "i like my femme's feisty." He said, there's weird but this was just plain creepy.

She grabbed her spiked piece of scrap metal as she held it like a spear, "come at me Starscream and I'll show you **who **the femme is." She said aggressively.

Which naturally provoked him as he took a swipe at her, in response and in an aggressive manner she stabbed the metal spear into starscreams hand, nailing him down into the ground. "ARGH!" he yelled as he knelt down from being forced to the ground, "you filthy brat!" he yelled as he quickly took a grab for her with the other hand as Ellen was experiencing fatigue. "**You will submit!**" he growled as he squeezed her within his palm.

"I could not live with myself if i were to **ever **submit to you!" she spat as slight patches of her vision was black and she felt dizzy.

He squeezed harder as Ellen grinded her teeth wincing, the pain was there but it was only worthy of bruising. Starscream coughed a laugh again, "would this technically be what the humans call 'bondage'?" he said.

Ellen eyes lit up like fire, "even though you have caused me great pain now, as well as over the years i have seen you form into an exceptional fighter, a human and woman no doubt but nonetheless that alone has made me somewhat _drawn_ to you my spark secretly throbs to bond with you, how intriguing perhaps i am curious to see if you are able to survive." He said with much pleasure in his voice. "If you claim yourself as mine perhaps i can persuade megatron to expand your life line to a year?"

Ellen felt every negative feeling there is, and in response performed a gesture she thought was suitable.

She spat in his face, the mere thought of what he suggested made her skin crawl, but she then sneered as a thought came to mind "is megatron not being gentle?" she spat mockingly.

Starscream ripped his nailed hand out of the ground as he pressed Ellen to the ground with both hands, he practically overshadowed her, though Ellen did not expect this and could not mentally prepare herself"Wait! What are you doing?!"Ellen screamed at him as she desperately tried to release herself from his predatory grip, Starscream looked like a demon from her point of view, he salivated and his optics grew brighter. She had fought many be it human or cybertronian, through her wit and through all that she had learned from training and she was to fall victim to...

"Starscream!" came a voice over by the entrance.

He quickly let go of Ellen as he stood himself up to a straightened position, looking casual. "What is it?" he said speaking in his normal calm tone.

Ellen scrambled away from him desperately.

"I do not care fondly for humans but what you were attempting to do outweighed that on the 'disgusting' level, can you sink no lower?" The con said which Ellen identified the voice to be barricade...she hadn't seen him until now but can definitely remember his voice.

"How dare you use that tone on your commanding officer!" starscream barked wiping a lubricants from his mouth. He then went over to the cop car con who was the same height as bumblebee and towered over him.

"You do not scare me starscream, it is you who should fear **me **for i can merely comm link Lord Megatron delivering him vital information that you attempted unwilling bonding with a human. And it doesn't matter if you kill me for megatron knows your ways." He said confidently.

Starscream and Barricade locked optics with each other for the longest of time but eventually starscream flinched and backed off, growled in his face and moved past him stomping down the hallways.

Now what followed was silence as barricade stood there looking at her.

Ellen was so embarrassed...so humiliated she had a brief lock of vision between herself and barricade before she grabbed her blanket and threw it over herself, and looked back out to the stars. An instinct of trying to protect herself from everything around her.

Barricade came over as he picked up her slightly empty bowls as he noticed her shake slightly but he could tell she was trying to repress it as best as she could. "I can't believe he was able to restrain me like that, i can't believe i couldn't do anything to stop him." She said she couldn't bottle up her thoughts she had to let them out...to someone.

"Of course you couldn't, you are only human." Barricade stated.

She threw her blanket off as she shot a look at him, "you don't get it! I have never been in a situation like that i have been thrown about, blown up and have even lost a limb* and here i felt...helpless...weak...he could've..." she started before letting a tear slip.

She shot her vision to the ground again as she began to claw at her arm, barricade stared at her for a while, he was not good at reassurance and rarely offered it but the thought of starscream getting a victory...he looked at the entrance door, then to her again as he fiddled about with the bowls looking as though he were still working. "I found it humorous when you implied megatron had been bonding pretty roughly with starscream as though he were a femme." He said forming an evil grin on the corner of his mouth.

Ellen merely sniffed, "i-i...w-will...live through this." She choked.

Barricade had much information about Ellen, she had encountered many decepticons and had lived sometimes leaving damage upon them, and she had assisted the autobots in various ways providing Intel and what not. But she was still human...part of a weak race...part of.

"Would you prefer it, if i stayed?" he asked though he slipped it out by accident.

"No" Ellen said coldly.

"I'll stand guard; i have no respect for those without honor or loyalty, like starscream, and many other decepticons on this vessel for that matter. besides i can execute this as training." He said acting on his own permission anyway.

Ellen shot him a glare. "As long as you don't touch me i guess you can 'stand guard'." She shrugged making it sound as though she had given him permission.

"Why would i touch your flesh cased form? I'm not in comparison to starscream i have 'standards'" he said as though stating it as fact not being intentionally cold.

She was silent, he was merely like any other decepticon and once again looked out to the stars, _"i hope I'm saved i don't care how long it takes as long as i know that i will be saved that will push me through." _she thought.

She still felt barricade hovering over her, instead of commenting on his loitering posture, she walked away from him instead. "Does my close presence scare you?" he asked.

"No, i just want to survive and you being that close is like resting your head on a bear trap." She said.

"You're of no use to Megatron if you are dead." He said realistically.

"Thanks i feel so full of purpose." She commented sarcastically as she lay down wrapping herself into her blankets cocoon style. She then clutched her piece of scrap metal as it slightly dripped with starscreams energon, she groaned as she had nowhere to wipe it with, then in frustration she threw it across the room.

"there is no need for such a...'weapon' i told you i would be standing guard." He said.

"I know my abilities, i don't know yours." She told him simply before setting down to a light sleep mode again.

"You will" he said, what a weird concept that she suggested that he were to prove himself to her,

Ellen shuffled lightly in response to his comment.

* * *

A/N *yeah just a quick point for those who have not read my transformers prime fic, Ellen has a robotic arm, further detail is in a small section in the link below but long story short, Ellen lost her whole arm, the bone structure is metal formed from Optimus's arm and being that it is living metal the skin and muscle from her shoulder formed around it making her arm complete again.

s/8109359/11/Transformers-prime-OCs-pov


	3. A Brief Tour

**A/N sorry for late update been pretty busy :P but i'm still working on this one, in fact all of them i have eight word documents up right now lol anyway hope this reaches expectations please R + R :D  
**

* * *

**A Brief Tour**

Ellen woke up the next...whatever date it was on earth, as she looked around, that disturbing sound of ambiance was present and startled her even more when she forgot that barricade was still here, standing looking out the window.

"Have you been there all the time?" she asked sleepily but grumpy.

"Yes, there have been no others before me." He confirmed still with his vision focused on what lay beyond the window.

"I know that, i would've woke myself to the slightest sound of the door." She stated.

"I do not doubt that, you are technically prey species after all." He said.

"On here anyway." she said pulling herself up from her lying position, crossing her legs. She ran her fingers through her hair as a quick way of brushing it, she then straightened her cloths out, not that it made a difference it still would smell of body odor and dead skin; she then heaved herself up as she had regained her confidence, mainly because there was someone in the room with her.

She made her way to the door entrance without uttering a word, "what are you doing?" barricade inquired.

"I'm going to finally explore this ship; i can't stand staying in one place anymore, i think two weeks is enough to prove i can endure." She said.

"Who are you proving yourself to?" barricade inquired.

"Forget it." She said back.

"You have regained confidence, even though you have been cut off from your unit and have been mentally and physically attacked by starscream?" he said.

Ellen looked at him scowling, she had forgot about what starscream had done yesterday, she can recover fast from those type of things, nearly being killed, humiliation, violation, witnessing sideswipe and Arcee engaging in 'human role-playing'. "Thanks for reminding me." She said wearily.

"How can you be so sure i will allow you wander the ship?" he asked in a threatening tone.

"How can i gain anything by wandering the halls?" she shrugged as she got a silent look as an answer and instead continued her way out the doors, at that moment she was neither experiencing fear or remorse, she was feeling nothing, until she got out into the hall that is.

Barricade in turn followed, she turned right as she just walked, still a howling trailed down the halls, she noticed something to the side it was the size of her head and it looked like a rotting carcass, "er barricade?" she said as he had quickly caught up to her side.

"Yes?" he said.

"What is that?" she asked slightly disturbed.

"Vermin, other races have managed to become stowaways, those with a substantial breeding rate." He said disgusted at the sight of it.

"Are they violent?" she asked.

"Yes, but they are no threat to us, though for you they would gladly knar off your limbs." He said.

"Like I'd let them." She said.

"I would not let them either." He said.

The hallway led to...what Ellen thought to be a huge room of machinery, though none of it was working; in fact the whole room looked crushed, and the ceiling looked as though it were about to cave in, the evidence was in the crumbs of debris that fell from it, she looked to her left and the floor only went so far until it looked as though it had collapsed on itself and left a huge canyon of darkness, she looked over the edge it was pretty far down, and dark. "Is this what powers the ship?" she asked.

"No, this is the side of the ship that was completely destroyed, if you were to go so far down you wouldn't be able to breathe." He said.

"Hmmm, is there anything down there?" she asked.

"Most likely huge nests of mites, some are as big as your 'horses'." He said, making her think of 'Abe's odd world' mainly for its strange creatures too.

As she lent over closer she heard light shrieking that sounded like many voices, "i-is that...them?" she asked.

"They probably smell you." He confirmed, barricade was no good with casual conversation through Ellen's eyes; he would speak as everything was fact.

Ellen shuddered, "isn't there anything on this ship that won't try to kill me?" she asked.

"You have not annoyed me yet, so you can add me to that list." He said.

"You don't have a girlfriend do you?" she said as she sighed long, "I thought at least the ship would be interesting."

"It is." He argued.

"No i mean in a sense of being able to explore the thing, seeing something that would make me intrigued or look on with awe, right now it's just really creepy." She said.

He thought about every room on the ship and what she would class as 'interesting' through her human eyes, perhaps there heavy weapons room? Or the section of the ship which holds there nursery for their newly sparked 'beasts'? "...i know of many rooms that may interest you, but perhaps not at this time." He then said.

Ellen sat on the ledge as she tried spotting for these 'mites' but gave him an 'hmm' in response, "hey er, barricade?" she said after a long while of silence.

"What?" he said.

"What does megatron plan to do with me?" she asked grimly.

"i am not completely clear of lord Megatrons intentions but i would theorize that it was either to mentally attack prime, or interrogation, torture, be it long termed or short i am unsure but they could be possibilities." He stated.

"I-I thought that too, but i thought I'd try to get it in writing." She said looking down to the darkened abyss below her, _"torture huh? i haven't had experience with torture...mental training perhaps, but some things you can't be prepared for, especially since there techniques will be different, there technology, could i take it?" _she thought for a long while on the subject still looking down into the dark abyss, barricade watched her with curious optics, he saw the uncertainty in her expression.

He wondered what she was thinking about? Perhaps the torture methods? But there was another feeling, fear. But barricade didn't understand, when Megatrons asks her for Intel she must provide, only through resistance will she be tortured. Then again he thought about the role reversal, if he were ever interrogated he would never provide Intel, no matter the pain or the outcome of death, a sense of honor and loyalty, she possessed this too.

"I have been here for just over two weeks; i have not seen or heard from megatron." She then said pulling barricade from his thoughts.

"He has more pressing matters to attend, he cannot spare wasteful time for casual conversation between a human." He said.

"Telling it straight aren't ya?" she said, though she wished he didn't sound so blunt.

"I am a realist." He said.

"Do i dare ask then?" she said under her breath.

"You have asked before, how is this time any different?" He said.

"Well it's more of a request, because I'm feeling...erm..." she started.

"Just say it." He said his patience started to thin.

"But i feel like a needy kid if i do say what I'm feeling, i have a hidden ego ya know." She said.

"_Hmph, pride." _He thought, "Speak, what is it?" he said.

"Well I'm...bored." she said averting her eyes from his.

"You require a means of entertainment?" he said slightly tilting his head.

"y-yeah, looking out to space is all good and all but...never mind i told myself i would not ask for such things it shows I'm vulnerable..." she said stubbornly.

"Megatron intended you to survive physically." Barricade stated shooting her request down in flames anyway, Ellen's head sunk slightly of course that's what he intended, she felt foolish for asking in the first place.

"However i doubt if you were to fall into madness you would be unable to provide any Intel." He added.

Ellen frowned confused, but looked at him anyway, "so, you can help me out on that?" she said.

"I will try to get these things, what is it humans do for...mental stimulation?" he asked.

"i-i don't want to get you terminated for this." she said, her sense of ethnics rising to the surface.

"I am a spy, ever since the destruction of the allspark no one has given me a second glance to whether i was terminated or not, ironhide should have rammed me into that carriageway pillar harder instead of taking me lightly." He said as Ellen noticed a slight grin on his face the most signs of emotion she has seen him make ever, except for persistent anger.

"I didn't know about that." she said curiously.

"It doesn't matter now anyway, for as you can see, i am still online." he said.

"So that's why ironhide was in such a bitter mood that day." She said reminiscing.

"Was he now?" he said, a mocking grin formed on his mouth. "What else was he doing?" he asked.

"I'm not saying anymore, i don't like talking about them if you delight in their misery." She stated sternly.

"We are enemies after all, we have had history together." He said wiping the grin off his face at her scowling reaction.

"Well I'm in the middle of it..." she then grew hesitant as she thought more deeply into it, "best not to talk about family anymore." She said averting her gaze from barricade for a brief second before looking him straight in the optics. "Now er, entertainment How about a board game?" She said a slight sound of eagerness in her voice.

"Board game." He repeated as he accessed his memory banks. "Be more specific, there are many, some of which seem to have the same function." He said.

"Chess, a rub-ix cube, that'll do to keep my wits about me and they are small enough for you to sneak in." He said.

"Are you concerned for me when you refer to that? As if you doubt my abilities?" he asked slightly offended.

"no, i say that because there is always that risk of getting caught no matter how much of high level of skill you may have, resulting in something which was my fault to begin with." She said.

"Your concern insults me." He said narrowing his optics.

"Look here, I'm not concerned for you, okay? I'm concerned for my conscious." She stated, but she really was concerned for him, but if he was offended by that she felt it better to be on his good side...if he had one.

He scoffed lightly content with her explanation, "I shall return you to your quarters, i will be a short time away so do not leave until i return." He ordered.

"So now why do **i **hear a slight sound of **concern**?" she asked in a light jest.

"Because there are few decepticons aboard this ship who cannot grasp the meaning of 'following orders', you will be exposed to their lack of discipline and during then i cannot protect you." He said.

"Why would you?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because you are vital to megatron." He snapped no way was he going to be interrogated by a human. He then turned his head to down the hall as he heard sounds of voices, "swiftly now." He said in an almost whisper motioning her to follow him.

Ellen had to jog to keep up with him as he was anxious to get her back to her quarters, at the door Ellen stopped as she suddenly turned weary, "what's wrong with you? In." He ordered pointing a finger in that general direction.

She did so as he followed allowing the trailing voices to fade past the doors, barricade kept a close audio receptor against the door just to be sure, when he was satisfied that they were gone he turned his vision back to Ellen.

Ellen swayed lightly as her face was saddened, "are you disease ridden?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Your behavior has fallen suddenly." He said looking her up and down.

She shook her head, "thinking about ironhide, has made me think of the others too, Ratchet, Sideswipe...Dad." She said, quickly removing a tear from her eyes before it fell.

Barricade looked her over as she was suffering home sickness, he went closely to her side as he knelt beside her, "you have to be strong now, i left my creators when i was your age and learned to adapt, so you must too." He said.

"Alone?" she asked.

"No my surroundings were familiar, yours are not, i will help you adapt." He said before standing to his full height again. "I will return shortly." He said, he then went to the entrance and stopped upon the door opening, he stood there for about five seconds before leaving completely, it made Ellen tilt her head, curious to his action.

Alone again, though not truly without company it seems, as Ellen begun to think of how Barricade would get these things for her, there must be a space bridge located on this planet, that is the only possibility she could think of, _"barricade lacks the ability of flight, where would that space bridge be? It would be impossible for me to attempt to find it out there; i won't ask barricade he would merely report my questionings, perhaps? Maybe? No, don't let your guard down, think, think... I could try to listen in to a conversation regarding the space bridge or hope that dad has thought up the idea of a space bridge, a grounded space bridge, not like that wireless free model dad told me about." _

Then a sound of voices echoed outside her quarters again, making her back away slightly "still, with barricade standing watch i felt less anxious, he did stand up to starscream after all." She whispered to herself.

Then she felt footsteps... ones she was not used to but...she did not need to know for they were the heaviest footsteps aboard and with barricade away Ellen was preparing for his entrance, if she had hackles they would be touching the ceiling.

She bared her teeth out of anger and fear and her breathing increased because of that and on cue the doors opened to reveal Megatron. He had repairs done to his face however he was not completely healed and tiny 'doctor' bots were surrounding the injured part of his face.

His arm was full repaired, and it looked like **his **arm, not someone Else's.

"May i enter?" he asked mockingly, his voice was slightly slurred as his jaw was not completely intact. He stepped in any way as he exaggerated a clawed hand to her, "for two weeks i have provided you with the means for your survival, wonderful hospitality and your own 'guard' it seems." He said giving me a devilish grin on the word 'guard'. "Now, i want something in return. You will comply, and if not..." a laugh lingered in his throat as he approached her position.

* * *

**A/N next chapter is on earth with the barely coping optimus and exhausted working overtime autobots and humans :o**


	4. Absent Life

**Absent Life  
**

Optimus was at the holographic globe that stood in the middle of the board room, he looked for the slightest of decepticon activity, every encounter so far he has demanded Intel from them, with little results in the process, however the past encounters have not been performed as efficiently or under the radar as protocol calls for, as well as being pulled off a decepticon when not being able to stop oneself from throwing consistent blows to his face.

And because of this, and realizing how much of a threat he himself has become as well has potentially endangering lives during these missions he has confined himself to the board room for monitoring instead, and there was one more thing to mention he hadn't had recharge for two weeks...

His expression was solemn and naturally looked exhausted and as a result he has been classed as unapproachable for his short temper and snap comebacks at the slightest of comments, those few who approached him were Major...Colonel Lennox, Ironhide, Ratchet, and Bumblebee on a rare occasion.

Colonel Lennox had entered the board room, the time was 4.00 in the morning, his conscious had got the better of him and had concern for optimus's health, the room was empty only Optimus was present. The others were on patrol for any evidence that would link them to Ellen's whereabouts, it was either engaging cons or patrol as Optimus had ordered and all had lacked recharge.

However Ratchet remained in his quarters on standby.

Will's footsteps echoed as he approached Optimus, who was oblivious to his presence and only focused on the globe. "Optimus?" he spoke quietly.

Optimus glanced his optics to will for not even a second but did so, to confirm he knew of his presence.

"There has been no detection of any decepticons, everyone has been on patrol none stop, you have been working non stop...there weary, they need rest. And so do you." He said.

"I do not require recharge." He hollowly said.

"Okay so you claim you don't need a rest, but what about the others? A search can go more efficiently when you are in top condition." He said.

"And what if in that single second a decepticon would pass by my optics?" he asked sounding annoyed.

"I have dispatched troops in their place; we can search just as well as any of you and we're in greater numbers too." He said.

Optimus let out a frustrated sigh.

"We're allies and that means you have to trust our capability, your current condition has make you not think straight and you don't realize what you're doing to yourself as well as the others...besides Ratchet has ordered you to recharge." He said.

"What about..." he started wearily.

"I will relief you, I'll look for any activity, and I'll work my ass off." He said.

He kept his optics locked onto the globe; he had been looking for so long it was a struggle to take them off, "Very well." He finally said wearily turning towards the exit, Will nodded to himself as Optimus dragged his feet to the door, he came out into the hallway and saw all returning autobots tiredly entering base, sideswipe could barely keep his balance on his wheeled feet, Ironhide lacked that much strength he dangled his cannons near the ground, the twins had to help keep each other from falling to the floor, bumblebee's winged doors drooped to his side and looked as though he possessed jet packs, "i have worked them to the near point of termination." Optimus said to himself guilt ridden.

He made his way to his quarters and the doors opened on approach, he headed for his chair as it was closer, he sighed as he rubbed his face and took in the surroundings he hadn't been in his quarters since not that it would make a difference, he looked at his berth something significant that didn't just provide recharge, he then looked to the human sized bed that Ellen is supposed to be sleeping in but instead puts all her cloths on there. He stared at the pile of untidy cloths as a specific piece of cloth caught his attention, He got up from his chair as he knelt down to it, he then plucked up something between his fingers, her favorite jacket, and a symbol.

"_Now to replace the navy one with the black one"_

"_What is the significance of the 'jacket'?"_

"_Call me weird but i like to symbolize these jackets as my 'level' in skill."_

"_Is this not a similar method they use in your 'martial arts?_

"_Y-yeah but i k-kind f skipped a few c-colors heh."_

"_Then you proclaimed yourself master, skipping over novice?"_

"_Does 'novice Kenobi' sound epic to you? B-but there is another reason for the jacket...not for the color, but when I'm not wearing it, i feel exposed, vulnerable."_

"_How?"_

"_I don't know i just started wearing them all the time...it's like my suit or something."_

"_Perhaps you fear reality."_

"_How did you come to that conclusion?"_

"_after the funeral, when we were leaving, you picked up a coat left behind by another human, you then draped it other yourself and refused to take it off, it was only until we got you your own jacket did you finally get rid of it. I did not think that much of it then, but it is clearly psychological."_

"_I-it's not really that bad, it's just a jacket."_

"_Then take it off."_

"_I c-can't..."_

"_The 'jacket' i know what it represents..."_

"_...i-i guess i-i'm still hanging on to him, f-for protection..."_

"_Have i failed in providing that?"_

"_n-no, never."_

"_Then let go of him and hang onto me..."_

"_...i guess twelve years is enough to prove yourself heh...I-I'll still want it close i-if you don't mind?"_

he looked at the jacket that he held in his palm, he straightened it out, as with the other hand he stroked it lightly, "where are you?" he said as he sat on his berth continuing to stare at the jacket, "your alive, i know this to be true, but i told you to rely on me instead of the 'jacket'..." He then opened a compartment on his arm and put the jacket inside, his head then sunk as he clenched his fists, light growling came from his form as it grew, he then stood up abruptly and took hold of his chair, he put every ounce of strength into uprooting it from the floor itself as he swung it over his head, "ye-arghhhh!" he yelled as he propelled the chair across the room.

It put a huge dent in the metallic wall and a small crater in the floor, he stood there as he had just released a wave of rage, his face fell at the realization of that, he wiped a hand over his face again as he shook his head, acknowledging the destruction for a mere second he wearily collapsed on his berth, heaving himself into a position so that he was on his back.

Though his outburst went without notice as Ratchet came bursting into his room granted he was the only autobot with any strength left to check, "Optimus! What are..." he started before he stopped himself, he looked over the damage for himself as the first thought to come to mind was what if someone was in the same room as him, "primus..." he breathed.

Ratchet went over to his side as he kept his eyes on the dented wall, "do you realize that could've went all the way through?" He said in a hiss.

"I know." he replied flatly.

"Is that all? What if a human were there?" he said.

"There are none!" he snapped forcing his face close into Ratchets, "none are present; they are currently carrying out **our** search!"

"It's their search too! And don't use that tone as though we are **barely **trying! We are doing everything we can!" Ratchet snapped back, before lowering his tone slightly "for primus sake we've been working non-stop it's just a matter of time" He said.

"That is what we lack! Time! The time we find her..."

"By the allspark! I cannot talk to you in this state!" He said firmly pushing the mech down on his berth, which surprisingly was an easy task for Ratchet, it was like pushing over a feather. he then shook his head solemnly, "You sound...desperate...a huge sign that you need to recharge and..."

Optimus then took a grip on Ratchets wrist, as he winced in pain, "Optimus what's wrong?!" Ratchet asked.

Optimus got his other hand and stroked it down his cheek lightly, "fear...but it is a shock of fear...as if...pain...pain... " he breathed as he forced himself up from his berth, "Ratchet she has been harmed!" he announced taking grip of Ratchets shoulder.

Ratchet was effected by this also not just the fact that for sure she was indeed in pain but for Optimus to feel this, that was a disadvantage of being emotionally bonded with a human, but he could not do anything merely experience it, know her suffering, "she can endure, she will hang on, until we can save her." He said, it was a hard truth, what else could he say?

"i do not want her to endure, she should not be feeling this at all!" Optimus winced again but was forced to lie down again due to fatigue, "why can i not do anything?" he questioned himself.

"You have your limitations, everyone does, you're not a god, but you have done so much already, which to many would be considered impossible, if you rest now, we can continue with our search." He said as he then patted his shoulder, "she's an exceptional human female, she can get through this, and she has her upbringing to thank for that." He said smiling sadly.

Optimus then applied pressure to his cheek, "have you ever felt anything else emanating from her?" Ratchet asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Most are emotions, fear, sadness, anger, uncertainty, and at one point my chest tightened...i do not want to think about what that could possibly be..."

"Sounds as though this has been happening frequently?" Ratchet said.

"Since her departure." He confirmed with a nod, "she has normally been able to keep those feelings in check; however in her current situation it has become too overwhelming and she can't hide it from me as she would usually attempt to do." He then looked to the ceiling, "i cannot recharge, even if i wanted to." He added.

Ratchet sighed, "then i must induce stasis..." he said.

"No..." Optimus uttered.

"I'm not putting you into stasis for a week, just until you are fully recharged." He lightly scolded.

He stared at the ceiling again as he attempted to focus his optics, as certain colors weren't what they were supposed to be, "Very well." He uttered in defeat, his cheek still throbbed and in his processor he could the heart beat that pulsed from the wound, _"damn you megatron..."_

* * *

**A/N i think knock****outs in the next chapter...i think...hehe don't even know whereabouts i am :P please R + R**_  
_


	5. It Begins, With A Knockout

**A/N excuse the title pun lol :P i thought i'd have a little chapter mainly of knockouts charming line XD  
**

* * *

**It begins...with a knockout**

Ellen held her bleeding cheek it was a huge gash and she would faint from loss of blood in a mere half an hour if not treated, megatron had demanded Intel **after **a warning, she refused and he informed her from now on each day her food will decline and she will slowly start to lose weight and become undernourished, but of course she will be saved from that if she provided any links leading to autobots or perhaps any human records concerning anything of cybertronian origin.

He had not informed her but he will go to more extreme measures, that of a more painful means of torture. But she will learn of that as time goes by.

During this conversation he had gave her a mocking grin and had stated sarcastically that he had hoped after two weeks of staying here she would have warmed to the decepticons company and in turn betraying Optimus, he grinned wider to that thought.

Ellen continued to hold her cheek firmly to try to stop the bleeding she bare her teeth as the blood escaped through her fingers.

* * *

Barricade had returned as he smuggled the tiny objects in his arm casing, he knew humans used currency to purchase items but who knew being part of the human law had its advantages, the human behind the counter somehow recognized his holoform as someone he knew and gave him the items returning a favor or something but he didn't care. It was less trouble for him.

He walked into Ellen's quarters as he checked the halls for any other decepticons, Ellen had her back to him and held her hand by her face, "good your back." She said casually.

"The task was simple." He said as he went around her to face her, and saw the red coloured liquid that lay between her fingers, "remove your hand." He ordered sternly. She did so as she would eventually ask for a plaster or something, "who did this?" he asked narrowing his optics.

"Why? What you gonna do?" she asked mainly because she wanted to see if his reaction changed.

"Perform disciplinary action on whoever did this, this is not to be tolerated it has no purpose." He said his voice grew louder.

"And what would you say if said it was megatron?" she said with a slight hiss.

"Lord Megatron did this?" he said somewhat confused.

"Yes." She scoffed, "is it really that surprising?"

"Did you displease him?" he asked.

"Obviously." She said.

"How? Didn't you keep your vocal processor shut?" he said frowning at her.

"No, it was a warning, and i have to say it was very creative of him, i mean i never expected it to be a warning of pain." She lightly jested, but it sounded as though she were intoxicated or something if she could make a joke.

"I understand." He said flatly.

"So it's different when he does it?" She scoffed wrinkling her nose.

"His reasons were valid..." he said though not sounding at all convincing, "you should have provided Intel." He sternly scolded.

"No, way, I've already told you i won't." She said taking a step towards him in a defensive manner.

"Yes but, your wound...it's something uncomfortable for me to look at." He said slightly cringing.

"You mean the fact that I've been hurt?" she lightly teased.

"No, i was referring to your life blood and muscle, i thought your skin was the most degrading quality but i have been corrected." He argued. Just the words alone sounded funny but she couldn't laugh he sounded pretty defensive.

"Okay, sooo are you gonna call a...medic or something? I'm bleeding allot here." She said continuing to hold her face as at this point the blood had trickled through her fingers

"I already have, though he was reluctant, human body work can't compare to that of a hood work is what he said." he said.

Ellen's face dropped, let her mouth hang and rolled her eyes, "No...You don't mean...?"

"Let's get this over with quickly and you can hold her, traces of iron in human blood makes my coating fade." Came the voice of knockout who abruptly entered Ellen's quarters without warning. "oh." He then said intrigued at the swift glance at the human form but as soon as she shown her face to him, "oh" he said again but this time he said it wearily, "you mentioned a human needed repairs but you never mentioned it was **her**."

"You have encountered her before?" Barricade enquired tilting his head.

"We've raced in the past and...Over things i do not wish to discuss further." He said brushing his coating protectively.

"Neither do i." she replied with.

"Why would lord Megatron want to keep her? Her skin is bumpy and m-moves it's just...bleurgh!" he said shooing her off as a bad smell.

"Just tend to her wound." Barricade instructed with a sigh escaping the end of his sentence.

"With what? My null ray?" he said having no idea how human skin heals itself.

"Your med lab has been recently supplied with human medicine." Barricade informed.

"Since when?" he whined.

"Since my return but i'm not sure of their methods of maintenance." He said pulling out a small first aid kit from his arm.

"_Where exactly did he go?" _Ellen thought.

"And what pray tell do you expect me to do with that?" knockout sneered.

Barricade beckoned it in his face, "use them." He said.

Knockout took the tiny box as he ripped the top off with plucked fingers, he scrunched his face up as he looked at it like he was playing with something dead, he then plucked up a roll of band aids up, "what, is this?" he said squinting his optics.

"t-they're b-band a-aids." Ellen stuttered as she begun to sway.

"Knockout!" Barricade abruptly yelled.

Knockout begun to scan her, "she's loosing blood...gross." He shrugged, "doesn't take a brilliant medic _like myself _to figure that out." He shrugged again rolling his optics in barricades direction.

"j-just give me the band aids and anti-bacterial towels I'll do it myself." Ellen said eventually forced to sit on the floor.

Barricade snatched the box off of knockout and knelt down to Ellen giving her the box, "O-kay." She said her vision became slightly blurred, "that strip of band aids knockout had w-which one is it?" she said squinting as though she needed glasses.

Barricade pointed to the requested item, "thank you." She said plucking them out.

Barricade looked at her face as it slowly started losing colour, he had seen this occur before with humans he had revealed himself to before except there were shaking, and couldn't speak, "Knockout go to storage retrieve me some water and anything human edible, nutritional." Barricade ordered.

"Do i look like your average drone?" Knockout moaned.

"Now knockout!" he snapped.

Knockout scoffed as he turned and left, "someone's going through a certain cycle in their life." He commented casually strolling out of the quarters.

Barricade growled where knockout once stood, as Ellen started rambling Shakespeare quotations, she then lay on her back as if about to go to sleep, "Remain online, i order you to." He sternly told her as he lifted her back up into a sitting position shaking her as she attempted to open a band aid. But her fingers shook and her grip kept slipping "what must i do?" he said to himself. Anti-bacterial wipes clean the wound, and then...and then what? "Give me a wipe." He told her.

"erm...kay?" she said punching a hand into the first aid box and grabbing a hand full of wipes, she waved them like a flag in the air, he then abruptly picked her up like a rag doll as her head swayed back and forth she still managed to hold the first aid kit in her arms despite this, barricade slightly panicked as he dabbed her face with the cloth then realised to stop the blood he'd have to apply pressure, but he can't do this forever.

Knockout came back as he mockingly held a hand to his mouth performing a human gesture of 'yawning' he swayed a small bottle of water between his fingers as he casually walked beside barricade, "here." He said with a hand on his hip.

At the instance of realising his presence Barricade snatched the bottle from Knockout as he snapped the top off, Ellen's face was as white as a sheet at this point and her mouth hung open, barricade lightly shook her, "stay online." He repeated, as he poured a bit of water into her mouth, it went down her shirt and practically half soaked her but the main thing is that he got it in her mouth, he figured it worked in the same way as energon. "Hold this onto her face." He said to Knockout handing him a half white half salmon coloured cloth.

He scowled at the thing in disgust, "i'm not getting her dirty life blood on my finish!" he protested.

"Do it!" he yelled.

"Urgh..." Knockout moaned drooping his shoulders but he did the task nonetheless but he kept his hands and his finish far apart from each other.

Ellen then inhaled as her head turned to the side and lay there limp, "What's wrong with her?" he demanded of Knockout.

He shrugged again as he took a guess, "well she's not dead." He jested.

"Well wake her." He growled.

"Take it easy chief, it takes time for a human to awaken from trauma, we'll clean the wound and try putting some liquids in her again, she won't die to put it bluntly." He said as he then threw the wipe across the room making a 'urgh' sound.

"We need to seal her wound, the bleedings not stopping, can you not...use your null ray to close it up while she is unconscious?" he asked.

"I'd have to set it to the lowest point, but even that may go through her face." He said as he then placed a hand under his chin, "an improvement on her part." He said transforming his arm and suddenly eager to perform such an act.

"It had **better **be the lowest point and stop with your attempts of wit! If she dies you can inform Lord Megatron of her demise and you haven't exactly got a clean record of accomplishment" He said in a threatening tone.

"Not that i care, but..." he said looking at his armour with dread, "I've kept it in good condition for a year now i don't really want to break that streak." He said nervously laughing.

Barricade then grabbed his null ray arm as he pointed it at knockouts armour and forced it to activate, "what are you doing?!" he practically jumped from the floor.

"It barely touches the finish its fine." Barricade declared, satisfied it wouldn't burn through her face.

"Just wait till you on my med table ag-aaain" knockout growled.

"You will be waiting until the rise of Unicron until i am damaged..." Barricade smugly said.

Knockout shot him daggered optics, "Turn her head slightly!" he snapped.

Knockout was ever so delicate with his null ray, he worked like an artist and his serious expression showed his capability, he guided the ray across her skin as it sealed up, and in mere seconds he was done as he transformed his null ray back into a hand. "Is that it?" barricade inquired not completely convinced at how fast he worked.

"yes." He spat, "when she wakes give her this." He said handing him something, a small white package, the stuff it was wrapped in was like a fairly thin type of paper.

"And you are defiantly buffing this out." He said turning to leave but quickly turned back around, "even if they is no scratch you're still buffing it out." He huffed before heading for the door for good this time.

"I will not." Barricade flatly replied.

Knockout merely growled as he stomped out of the quarters, barricade looked at the limp body that lay in his palm, cloths wet and were slightly tinged with blood. He slightly knelt down as he inspected the floor, he the stood up again tore between the decision of placing her on the floor or keeping her where she was, his decepticon nature loathed the fact that he was holding her in the first place but another part of him couldn't stand the fact of leaving her to lie on the cold floor in fear that may be another factor to contribute to her death, "Why do humans expire so easily? A slight loss of blood and you drop like flies, why is that?" he asked Ellen's unconscious form, but in that final decision he merely stood there in hopes she'd awake soon, Primus knows this is degrading.

* * *

**A/N knockout may appear again in later chapters but i thought I'd announce him in this story :P so yeah I'm still working on this story and i intend to follow it through as i do with all my stories but even if i don't update in a long while it doesn't mean i've abandoned it :P its either writers block or over stories I'm working on so bare with me :)**


	6. Preparing For The Storm

**A/N 04/11/12 is the last time i updated i was feeling too happy these past few...nearly two months...exactly... *starts whistling* but now i was in serious mode so i was able to get this chapter done and the next one more quickly i should watch some movies with more 'no future' tone to it lol :p  
**

* * *

**Preparing For the Storm**

It was about an hour and a half until Ellen finally woke up feeling ill and lying on her blanket, but it wasn't her main focus, "oh...I'm hungry." She said as her first words. "Dad?" she then said tiredly as Barricade's shadowed form came into view, "Oh, not tall enough." She said disappointingly, but getting Barricade to visualize that height she was referring too. "i dreamt i was at home, man i sound desperate don't i?" she said to him allowing her eyes to adjust.

"No, you are allowed to miss your home." He said shuffling this little white package towards her.

"What's this?" she asked as she cocked him an eyebrow, "a bomb?" she jested.

"nourishment." He confirmed flatly.

"Where did you get this?" she asked somewhat suspiciously.

"storage." He said simply.

"**How** did you get this?" she then asked.

"Irrelevant, now no more questions, there starting to aggravate me." He said shuffling the white package a bit closer.

"fine." She sighed as she begun to unpack it, what was inside was a plastic packaging containing a sandwich which was cut into two separate triangle pieces, it was a BLT something she had not had for a while, also inside was a variety of drinks that of fruit flavored water, regular tap water and spring water, Ellen looked to Barricade to settle the confusion.

"Our 'source' must have been unsure of which was more sufficient. You humans seem to have a variety, though i don't understand why you can't just have one source of energy like us." He stated smugly.

"Yeah and you've run out of the stuff." She replied flatly.

Barricade growled making Ellen startled slightly, "Barricade i didn't mean offense." She said apologetically "i said that all wrong, you see i tend to make light jests to remove some of the tension of something serious" she explained as Barricade didn't understand but shook it off anyway, "Do you have to growl at everything?" she added.

"You were frightened?" he asked a bit of smugness lingered in his voice.

"No, just unsettled, i didn't expect you to do it." She stated.

Barricade then turned his face away as he suddenly looked slightly confused, "What?" Ellen asked, _"What is he doing now_?_"_she thought.

"I need to go." He said anxiously.

"W-Why? Has someone comm linked you?" she asked a bit cautious of his reaction.

"I am having an audience with Megatron." He said making a swift exit towards the door,

"hey." She said as he stopped, "nothing." she said.

"Eat. I will be back soon." He said.

Ellen sighed as she looked at stuff in front of her, "if what Megatron say is true i better take what i can get." She said as she looked around for any type of security footage or if anyone was watching, as she then snatched the sandwich and shoved it in her mouth then at the same time ripped off the lid of the flavored water and drank that down with the sandwich, wiping her mouth she then took the other two bottles and put them in her pocket, "a slash from Megatron and i was at near death." She said stroking her cheek, "stay and carry on here will still result in death, try to find a way off this ship has the risk of death but it's the slimmest chance i got...but to find the Spacebridge itself outside without dying from the lack of oxygen or none for that matter. This ship is riddled with shadows; i can sneak around the ship that way, find something that might allow me to breathe out there but first i need to locate the Spacebridge. I'll need to access this ships computers for that."

Upon pondering she then looked to the side of her, a rubix cube and a Jenga set resided, "Hmm." She said taking a grab for the Jenga set, she tore the box open as she didn't set it up like a tower but instead lay them out in a orderly fashion, she mumbled to herself, "no that wouldn't work..." she then held a hand to head, thinking. "Come on, you've been on this ship before, but its missing like half of its base, everything could've been rearranged." She then put the jenga pieces back into a pile, "okay start again."

* * *

Barricade was nearing his location as he thought of the reason for his summoning, the subject was Ellen of course, but the discussion itself was what made him curious, "You summoned me lord Megatron?" Barricade said entering the bridge of the nemesis

"Barricade yes, you have taken the role of watching this human?" he asked.

"She fascinates me, like a pet." He said.

"And you tended to her wounds?" He questioned.

Which confused Barricade, he wasn't sure if he was being interrogated or not, "yes...i had to, she would've died...she would be of no use to you if no action was taken." He explained. Megatron watched Barricade for a long while forcing Barricade to extend, "you did not want this?" he said.

"No, your swift mind was right in taking action." He said as he turned his back to him, "it was my own error; i forget how simple these creatures are." He said with a pleasant grin. "it doesn't matter now, she's alive."

"May i ask when do we start the interrogations?" he asked.

"That is the main reason for your summoning." He said.

"My lord?"

"Humans are prone to company and yours she will welcome warmingly." He started as his tone suddenly grew demanding, "ask her what we want to know, then when she refuses, lower her rations, each day you will repeat this process, she will slowly start to deteriorate and that is when she will be most vulnerable, then finally when she has reached the state of fatigue i will personally ask for her to give up information, for one, last, time. If not...we well go to more extreme measures." He said.

"May i ask Lord Megatron, what technique of torture will we be using on her? Most of our equipment would kill her in seconds." He said.

"I am well aware of that Barricade, do not mock me." He growled, "No, we are using that which attacks the nervous system excruciation pain but she will live, long enough." He said.

"But it will eventually, kill her." he said with subtle concern.

Megatron gave him a suspicious frown, "of course, she has nothing else to offer, and i do not care to keep her alive merely to mentally attack Optimus Prime, it would be more satisfying knowing that he is hanging onto false hope." He said.

"Is there anything else my lord?" he asked.

"No, that is all, you may leave." He said.

Barricade nodded as he made a slight bow as he headed for the exit, "Barricade." Megatron spoke again, "remember your place." He said.

Barricade made no gesture but understood his meaning as he simply left.

* * *

Barricade had walked back into Ellen's quarters as he saw her playing that game that required skill and balance, he was foolish to let his guard down, whilst she is here her fate is closer then she thinks and he has to remind himself that she is not a friend, just another subject. "Hey Barricade, good call on Jenga." She said.

He didn't say anything merely walk over to her as his expression dawned grim, distracted Ellen knocked over her Jenga tower, "...so when should i brace myself." She asked grimly.

Barricade slightly cringed inside as he knelt down in front of her, "You need to listen to me, and this is serious, so pay attention." He said sternly.

"I'm ready for interrogation aren't i?" she asked standing up.

"You need to reveal everything, understand?" he said.

Ellen growled in frustration at the same subject of 'information'. "I have already told you that i would never do such a thing." She reminded.

Barricade shook his head hard, "You don't understand. Starting from tomorrow your source of sustenance will be lowered each day unless you tell him everything he needs to know now." he ordered.

"...so I'll basically be rendered to starvation?" she asked hesitantly.

"yes." He sternly said.

Her eyes wandered, "I..." she said with a small timid voice, body slightly shaking as she started to develop a cold sweat. "i...i don't care!" she yelled suddenly, her voice echoing inside her quarters, "I-I'm only o-one human; Earth has billions..." her sad eyes turned to the floor as she rubbed hand down her arm "not to mention a number of Autobots as well." she added.

"You don't want to live? You don't want to survive?" he asked.

Ellen cringed with involuntary fear, "o-of c-course i want to l-live, but even if i reveal information or not...the result will still be the same." She accepted this fact. "But i intend to find a way home..." she stated desperately, "which is my best hope with the option of living **or** dying...no matter how slim my chances are..."

"You won't be able to get off this planet; the nemesis is heavily guarded, as well as the spacebridge." He said. "How do you intend to get to Earth?" he said.

She didn't know what she was asking, maybe it was the false hope talking but she desperately attempted anyway, "...well you know your way around." she hinted.

Barricade shot her a hard stare as he stood up straight, "Let's get this straight, i am **not **your friend, i am a Decepticon, i follow Megatron, no matter what." he said.

"Even this? Is Deception your only function? Despite the fact that your all called Decepticons! What's there to gain? What do **you **want to gain? I have a hard time believing that you would really be content with total superiority over every race in this universe." She said.

Barricade at times did question their cause, but now he was unsure of his own purpose, "You said it yourself, you are just **one** human, you are expendable." He told her coldly.

"I...I don't understand you Barricade, first you help me, defend me, even tend to my health, i mean is this one of those acts where you lead me off for my own good? Or is it where you pretend to be a friend but then betray me half way through?"

"There was never an act, this is me, i see a purpose i fill it, your health, your need for entertainment, company, your protection. Anything that completes the mission, no matter the cost. That is a spy's function." He said.

Ellen didn't bother to look bewildered, "i should've stuck with my own initiative, i should've just kept to myself and focused on home alone, but no i had to surrender to my, to my, my stupid vulnerabilities!" she then looked him in the optics as she threw a fist out in front of her, "I'll find a way off this ship with or without you." She vowed coldly.

"Who are you to conclude i will let you wander this ship?" he said dangerously.

"Slag off!" she exclaimed no longer able to contain the frustration of the little options she has been provided with.

He noticed the small glaze over her eyes and his own vulnerabilities let him down, that which is mercy and pity, "there is another way, you can still live." He said.

She scoffed rolling her eyes to his change in personality again, "What do you mean now?" She said wearily.

"Perhaps if i requested that i could have possession of you." He said.

"What are you saying?" she asked grinding her teeth.

"Like a pet." He confirmed.

Ellen chipped a tooth at the folly of her own rage, her mouth was dry and her palms were shaking, her chest rose and fell at a substantial speed, "A pet? **A pet?!** You know what? death is looking pretty good right now." She growled.

"You do realise what they'll do to you don't you?!" he suddenly roared puffing his chest out.

"I'm not savvy with their methods." She said.

"Our specialty and most effected way of inflicting pain is more subtle, it is nerve pain." He said.

"Nerve pain." She repeated breaking down inside from everything being thrown at her at one time.

"Your nervous system itself, we have used this on many bots and it attacks there processor there motor receptors, they themselves have only managed to stay online for a few sessions." He said.

"a-a...only a few?" Ellen said horrified.

"But the setting was too high for them, you will most likely be on the lowest setting, but even then i'm not sure how long you will last when exposed to this, are you trained in having a tolerance to pain?"

"I have some mental training if that helps as well?" she said.

"Neither will help you." He stated flatly.

"_Is there anything i could do to keep myself alive a little longer?"_ she asked herself, she would have asked Barricade but now she's on her own again and so instead said, "I'll just try to deal with it." she said turning herself around so that her back was facing him.

"Focus on living itself, what you want to live for...focus on that it may keep you from going completely insane." He said.

"Oh lord have mercy." She said to herself.

"It destroys cells, attacks the nervous system, it has different effects depending on the being, it can cause permanent damage on some occasions, render some paralyzed, processor damage, main functions disabled..." he continued to explain to her.

"I get it, i can really suffer for this, it just means i need to work faster." She told herself putting a hand under her chin.

"I already told you that i..." he started before she spun herself around.

"I don't care what you say anymore! Lies or truth, i can't seem to tell anymore, but out of desperately i need to ask..." she then fell solemn as she felt the urge to cry, "Why let me die?"

"Because i must." He replied in an instance.

* * *

**A/N Ellen's alone again :( i think next chapter will be about her attempts at wandering around the ship, bumping into other cons...and maybe other species? all the while as she loses weight and strength...time is not on her side. please R + R :D  
**


	7. The Brig

**A/N I'd like to give Barricade his own little conflict as well as making him a lone wolf between cons and bots, some will disagree but i just feel that way when i've seen him in the movies as well as some comics  
**

* * *

**The Brig **

Six Weeks on the Nemesis

Ellen went back to focusing on the will to live and that had pushed her past fear, to find answers, just to get home. Everyone is neither friend or foe, she had decided to acknowledge them as just being there and if they speak she will answer but that is it, but there was that small part that still wanted to be on friendly terms with Barricade, perhaps it **was **that human nature of being sociable creatures or its that similar comforting feeling she would get from the Autobots either way she couldn't tell what he was really thinking and it made her all the more frustrated.

her attempts of constant wanderings around the ship had gotten her no closer to getting home either, however Barricade had grown weary of merely picking her up and moving her back to her quarters, so instead let her wander the ship, he could stop her if she were to stumble upon those rooms that were not for her eyes, such as the main bridge. She eagerly swung her arms up and down as her eyes wandered like a wild animal finding a way out, looking left and right at every door, briefly stopping as she would invite herself in, only to find either quarters for many Decepticons at a time, a weapons room, storage or hatchling room but she took note of them anyway for future reference.

Barricade also took note of her seemingly fixed objective.

As she continued her quick run around the whole ship she had entered a more darkened section of the ship she thought maybe the power was out in this section but it looked kind of abandoned or maybe that was the intention, her eager walking had stopped as she beheld it, it was like a giant prison there were cells of course but it looked like it was part of history now, despite the look there was an eerie feel to it as well, she hesitated but knocked it back just as she found herself turning her head to behind her, she wasn't going to ask Barricade he's confused her enough emotionally as it is.

So she explored it without question, some cells looked as though a giant beast had torn itself from its shackles, she then looked inside some, most were empty, she poked her head in to this one cell that had caught her attention, there were these what she could see as electrified wrist shackles she counted on that they mess up there motor functions but what she didn't count on was the tiny gasp that escaped her as she hadn't expected to see the light glow from two pairs of blue optics. "o-oh." She said as she slowly cupped her hands around the bars as she beheld them, and upon closer inspection one was dead, his blue optics were merely sparking like a twitch.

The other had no will of life at all as he looked at her with optics of a soulless machine the set up gave her chills, "who are…**is **he and who **was **his comrade?" she asked Barricade still with eyes on the Mech.

"Autobots, they never told us there designations." He said.

She kept looking at the Autobot, his expression was empty as if she wasn't even there and was merely a hallucination, his optics were blue yet dull, will that be her as well? "i wonder if there are others thinking of him, if they had given up hope and merely forgot about him..." she let her hands slowly slide down the bars as her vision averted to the floor, she then whipped her head to Barricade, "how long has he been here?" she demanded.

"It was long ago since we interrogate them both." He said.

"Why won't you let them go? Look at him he's already dying, at least let him die **without **the shackles" she asked, "why won't..."

"p-ple..." Ellen slightly froze to how frightening that eerie voice sounded coming from the dying mech, "p-ple..." he repeated looking as deathly as a drone. "l-let me...let me..." he then stopped as she moved her own lips in what he was trying to say.

"Die?" she asked grimly, the way he was looking and the state he was in, he looked close to death. He nodded barely with a raspy sound escaping him, she whipped her head again to Barricade, "at least give him that." She said in a gentle hiss.

Barricade looked around him as to see if anyone was watching, "it was not instructed." He said.

"Think for yourself for a moment! Just because Megatrons your leader doesn't mean you have to follow him blindly, consider his choices and try to think before leading yourself off a cliff with the rest of these mindless drones!" she yelled at him as she grew solemn, "he's suffering and from his rust encrusted frame, he's been here for many vorns...many centuries. And the bot that lays there bare is identical to him, twins are not uncommon among Cybertronians but i have been told it's a great unbearable, **physical **pain on their sparks when one of them dies." She started as Barricade watched her head lower to the floor. "i..." she then said very quietly, "i don't, want to..." her eyes stared at the mech for a long while as for the first time both her eyes and his optics met.

His optics shut half way as he ever so slightly shook his head; Ellen took that as the mark of her own doom. He then gave a flat nod with a very long sigh, as Barricade took a step forward just behind her, he then transformed his arm into his choice of termination, "you may want to look away." He said to her.

"No." She said flatly as Barricades weapons charged up the Autobot gave a reliving nod and beheld his last shadow, however even though he wants to die his expression still bared that of fear. "t-thank Primus." He said as merely seconds later his spark chamber was shot at and then he laid there just the same as he did alive.

"Poor soul." Ellen said quietly as she thought of her own fate, then turned to Barricade, "maybe I'll be asking the same of you." She said flatly.

Barricade grinded his jaw as he grimaced at that thought, for one thing her frail and tiny voice was making her the hardest prisoner yet, as well as her very weak structure and a mind to match, but not because she is human but because she is a child, and that alone reminded him of his own...He cannot betray Megatron, yet he doesn't want to do this, it's pointless in his opinion she won't say anything, he should...just kill her now like he did the Autobot, offer a mercy, and... he prepared to do so, he deployed his weapon again as he pointed it her way, it charged up with a whisper of a hum he thought of the initial outcome and after four weeks of her declining nutrition, she is much thinner and she will only continue to deteriorate, but despite this he was hesitant and his arm slightly shook but he forced himself to an unemotional state as he was ready to fire... _"Primus forgive me..."_

"Do you mind doing something for me?" she then asked as he instantly hid his weapon away behind his back.

"I...am not your servant you know." he said retaining a normal tone.

"No, no, i don't want you to do anything like that..." she said.

"Then what do you mean by 'something'?" he asked.

"Well..." she started as she had come to terms with this whole situation but still couldn't help but feel lonely and frightened. "When i...**if** i die, could you somehow deliver a message for me?" she asked.

"A message." He repeated.

"You know, if you...ever come on the battlefield with the Autobots and N.E.S.T again." She forced a laugh.

"I don't know about speaking on your behalf but i could record a message for them." He said all in favour for her request.

"Thanks." She said, "but i won't record it now, i'm still going to...try, i will **not** die here."

The conversation had reminded him of what he had to ask of her everyday a series of questions, "Ellen, where is the Autobot base?" he said.

"I don't know." she said still looking into the cell.

"Name them, designations, abilities, weapons and fighting styles. There formations." He said.

"No." She said wearily the same answers she gives every time.

"Your government officials, there locations." He said.

"I'm not saying anything Barricade, i'm not revealing any of their medical techniques or, or any other 'mystical' secrets you think Dad might be a part of." She said annoyed.

He shook his head as he was about to speak but stopped himself as it felt pointless.

As Ellen let go of the bars to turn around another sound was heard from further inside the brig, a sudden groan and it sounded female by pitch but it could be something else, "what was that? You have another prisoner in here?" she asked now intrigued and distracted by recent events.

Barricade looked down towards the darkened prison right at the end as he subtlety retracted his weapon; he gave the hallway a hard stare before looking to her "nothing that is any of your concern."

"it is a concern, if i can hear it then it **is **a concern, i know that i am only going by first impression but, do you have a Femme here?" she asked.

"Mech or Femme, it **still** doesn't concern you." He said again this time a little more aggressive in tone.

"Why are you so defensive? Who is that in there? It can't be Fracture because she's..." she started before stopping mainly to how casual she sounded talking about a former Decepticon comrade of Barricades.

"Fracture? I had heard she had been terminated." He said.

"I'm sorry." Ellen said rather awkwardly.

"there is no point in being so, i keep my ties to my comrades on a professional level only, besides that Femme was not all, 'level' in the processor, she would face battle face on and so she led herself to her own demise, but what was she met with?" he said.

"She was run off a cliff; i heard it was during a chase so she was in vehicular mode when she was run off."

"And her destroyer?" he said.

"I'll not say, you'll only turn bitter and curse his or hers name, now back to the topic, who is down there." She said.

"Someone who is not your average bot." He growled.

"Not your average bot? What's so unordinary?" she said.

"I'm not answering anymore, you question and question to a point of frustration." He said. He clenched his fists because of this frustration but tried to contain it, any other decepticon he would have been quick to plant a gash across his spark, "Stupid girl." He instead said.

She lightly scoffed, "**you're **frustrated." She said under her breath before she found herself leaning up against the cell bars as she held a hand to her head, "w-whoa..." she said dizzily.

"What's wrong?" he said going through that phase again of constant change of heart kneeling down to her only to be shooed away with her free hand.

"get away." She hissed flapping her free hand up and down, "i-i'm dizzy, what did you expect?" she said in annoyance.

"So it is from lack of energy?" he said.

"Yes, and I've been wasting time, damn." She cursed as she had to sit down her eyes shut slightly as she reopened them in realisation, "i see, this is not just to render me physically and mentally vulnerable during torture but to force me to stay in my quarters, if i am to save my energy." She said holding her head.

Barricade held his own helm as he grinded his jaw and made a growling sound, Ellen shot her head up as she wondered if he were in pain, "H-Hey Barricade? Are you okay?" she said slightly wary of his behaviour.

"N-o." He said in an instant growl, _"what am i doing? i have my orders, i __**need **__to help our cause, but i don't want to destroy weaker life forms in the process b-but it's not that i can't, this is...i can threaten and intimidate but...perhaps i am developing that Autobot trait to protect instead of destroy? No it's not the same its more...i think i..." _he then looked at Ellen who still had one hand on her head but still showing a concerning look for him, he turned hesitant as his mouth slightly hung "D-Did you know that i used to..." he started babbling as a whisper.

"W-What?" she said cocking her head to one side too fast in doing so and fell dizzy again "...w-whoo, that went all black that time." She said putting her head between her knees.

"I knew i should have trained myself in fasting." She said slightly muffled.

With a flat expression Barricade slipped his hand under his arm, into a compartment, and pulled out another one of those white packages, _"what __**am **__i doing?" _he thought at his mindless acts without thought he just...did it. "Here." He said to her rather gruffly.

She lifted her head up as she looked at the package, like an animal she had been reinforced that white packages had food, "huh?" she said looking him over.

He shoved it into her lap but as a simple gesture of force, "i thought that when a starving human would see sustenance you would grab it without a second thought." He said with a gentle growl.

"W-What, what are you doing **now?** Is this mental torture? You help me, you don't help, you help me, you don't help me, i mean what are you doing?" she said.

"I don't know, i **do** follow blindly because i don't know what to follow anymore, and I **have **become a mindless drone." He said.

"h-hey look i didn't mean to brand you as 'wrong' in your beliefs who i am to say what you can believe in, that's not for me to say." She said.

"But they are not **my **beliefs." He growled as she became silent, "when-when we first begun i wanted so, **badly **to-to just destroy anything that was **not **our race."

"What do you mean anything that wasn't your race? Weren't you at war?" she said.

"Life before the War wasn't as **peaceful **as your Sire has told you, no, there were other races out there who wanted our technology, specifically they wanted the Allspark." He said.

"What race?" she asked.

"That is irrelevant, but we would endure hostile attack each time and simply flick the threat away as flys but one day this one race went further and performed an attack on the actual surface of our planet, back then we had two factors, defense and science, the defensive factor are now known as Decepticons and the science factor are now the Autobots. However when the defensive factor changed their name to decepticons as well as what they stood for some were having second thoughts and joined the Autobots, such as Ironhide." He said.

"That...makes allot of sense." Ellen said furrowing her brow as she nodded as again she held her head making a hissing sound.

Barricade scoffed at her as he took the package from her himself and unwrapped the slagging thing, after destroying the packaging and getting a ball of smushed sandwich he then pressed it against her mouth, "just eat it, stupid girl." He said.

"mmm." She said muffled as she tried to **not **choke on the ball of bread, "m-now." she started as she held the rest of the bread in his hand. "What happened during these attacks?" she asked.

He looked to the floor as he recalled all those sounds of panic and explosions, "we had, built a temple around the Allspark but they knew of its location, they attempted to steal it of course, they failed. However the end result was that our cities were heavily damaged and we had lost...many of our civilians among them..." then he looked at her again as she sat with the sandwich in her hand still, "eat that now." he said sternly.

She looked at the sandwich as she frowned, "Barricade, you're always confusing me; stop confusing me! god damn it my heart is hurting enough." She said the pitch of her voice raising and falling.

"You have affectionate feelings for the Autobots correct?" he said.

"Of course." She stated hitting her knee with a fist.

"Then think of them, I'm just...the enemy." He said.

"But you don't...H-Hmm..." she groaned again holding her head.

"You're becoming stressed; let's just return you to your quarters." He said kneeling down to her.

"Yeah but, whoa!" she exclaimed as he abruptly scooped her up, "i c-can walk."

"No you can't." He said.

she just sighed long, and held her head again. "what the hell is happening right now?" she puffed.

* * *

**A/N Fracture is a female con i was referring to her when she appeared in the IDW movie comics, next chapter will probably be about Barricade and revealing a little bit more about himself then we'll be seeing some little Ravage kittens, all the while i've put up a timer :p  
**


	8. Barricade

**Barricade**

The two continued their way back to Ellen's quarters she lay in his hands as she closed her eyes as the headache was getting no better it just kept throbbing, "so...tired, **always **tired..." she looked at her hands as she noticed the change, "in a few weeks i'm going to look like a frail old woman...i never want my friends to see me that way or this way, i look so weak, there's nothing left but withered flesh and **dry** bones." She hissed pushing her hand away as she sneered at the sight, she then sighed as she lay her face into her sleeve as her hand felt disgusting to her touch.

"I see no problem." Barricade said flatly.

"I do, if you thought humans were disgusting while with excellent health wait till you see the very structure of an outline of bones shine through my single layer of skin." She said bringing her knees up shuddering as she closed her eyes to how baggy her cloths felt.

"I don't think you are disgusting, no one can make a judgement call on what 'appealing' should be." He said

She sunk in form as she was unconvinced to how ugly **she **felt, "What do you think of humans in general?" she asked so not to feel solely judged.

"Your skin holds your curved form in place while our plates shift into different places, so that we are able to transform." he said pondering on that thought.

She looked into empty space trying to keep off the thought of her physical appearance, "Yeah, i mean you guys can transform and kind of use yourself as the tools to be able to perform the action you intend to carry out such as construction and maintenance, we kind of build tools instead of being them." She said swaying lightly before realizing her mistake of branding them as 'tools'. "I-I mean, thats-thats not what i..."

"As long as you know that it was a mistake." He said bowing his head slightly.

She felt a blush to her cheeks in slight embarrassment though she couldn't spare much of a blood rush, "Both our races have our flaws don't you think?" she rambled on talking to his palm.

"I, can, admit that." He said his jaw grinded slightly so his speech was muffled.

"Heh, you almost sounded grumpy." She said lightly.

He cupped his hand a little more, "You tend to push things don't you?" he asked.

She weakly smiled because she didn't have any strength to do anything stronger, "yeah i do, i normally do it with friends but not out of malice just what i'm typically known for, my sarcasm and jokes you know?"

"what about knowing when you've reached your limits?" he said raising an eyebrow, mainly because if this were any other Con she would probably be dead to the mere comment of their Armour plating.

"S-Sometimes, when i should really remain silent i just blurt something out." she said, however in this situation being alone, and far from home, she has toned down and is having to keep her tongue behind her teeth.

"Why? When you know when to be silent why do you speak?" he said.

"Sometimes i like to joke when I'm, scared, or angry or in mourning. It's just a reaction." She said.

"So, are you scared now?" he asked simply.

"if i wasn't I'd be classed as an inanimate object." She said heavily as she looked her feet, she had fallen silent for a while as Barricade lightly shifted his hand to keep her focused, "H-Huh?" she said weakly, "w-w-what did you say?"

"I asked you if you were scared, you answered but then fell silent." He said.

"O-h r-right, w-what was i saying? o-oh yeah, i also like to push people for the sake of it, i like the reactions i get, i know you wouldn't hurt me if i offended you but i don't get great reactions from you and that's why i stopped." She admitted.

He looked slightly to the floor, perhaps he's used to the anger around him he takes everything too literal, "y-you won't get much humorous beings upon this ship." He said though the tone he made betrayed him.

And she had faintly noticed this also as she lifted her head heavily looking at him with a forced expression, "Were you...did you just make a joke?" she asked.

"Is there any point in saying i didn't?" he simply said.

"No." She said slight sparkle to her eyes betraying herself for the need of reassurance, "I like to think i cheer bots up with my jokes, even get them to join in with the humor." She said to him getting ahead of herself, "you know when Dad would have a bad day i..." she stopped dead in her sentence as she found herself smiling, her mouth turned dry and she felt quite sickly in the stomach, "never mind..." She said flatly, sitting back into his palm.

Barricade tilted his head as he had not seen a more uplifting smile from her, her face glowed and she appeared more lively, "The thoughts of your Sire make you look almost functional." He said, her back still faced him and as he said that she held a hand to her cheek feeling it for a few seconds before retracting her hand back, knowing that she **never **looked healthy since coming here.

Barricade glanced from side to side in thought, he felt as though he should renounce his serious tone seeing how, well in comparison she was only a juvenile and he remembered how awkward he felt when he and his Sparkmate were expecting... "Could i ask a personal question?" he said on that thought.

"I guess." She said flatly.

"Despite how confusing it is for you to be somehow imprinted on one of our own, in terms, you are like an offspring and he like your parent?" he said.

She forced a puff of air out of her mouth, which was supposed to be a laugh as she lightly shook her head, "not 'like' **are**, but besides that why bring it up? Is this related to the question?" she attempted to push him a little to be more upfront with whatever it was he was thinking.

"Define that." he simply said almost demanding.

"Define? Could you be more, specific?" she asked careful with her words.

He lightly growled to how dragged this had become, he thought he was perfectly clear with suggestive words but he could see through her 'naive' act as he gave her a sharp stare, "parent." He gently hissed.

She droopily bowed her head as she didn't need to think twice, "I think the term 'Mother' and 'Father' are used too lightly it's not enough that you create life, i believe it's the effort you put into raising a child, sure he's not genetically and by your terms 'my Sire' but he is." she said. Barricade collected all that was said as he still had no idea what she meant but tried to understand from her perspective, "I'm sorry, I'm probably not explaining myself properly or at least logically sound for you." She then breathed a laugh, "But you know I'm not exactly fit to debate at the moment."

"I, think i understand, though I'm not sure i could put in that effort, nor would a child give me the chance." He said as his voice turned casual, not as formal as before.

She smiled lightly at the thought of Barricade referring to sparkling's, "how would you know?" she asked teasingly.

"I have had my fair share of experience with juveniles of various races, including my own." He started as he looked to one side; to Ellen it seemed he was slightly embarrassed.

She started to laugh hoarsely as it merely caused her chest to tighten, "you know Barricade, you do come off as being **very **angry all the time." She argued letting herself laugh despite the chest pains. Barricade made a slight 'hmph' sound as he looked slightly pouting, "and i don't blame you for that i mean, you've been angry for a very long time and i think that you've just gotten comfortable with that...i don't think kids hate you Barricade, you just treat them like, like soldiers and I'm right aren't i?" she added cheekily.

He shot his head back around as he frowned, "so, you don't, 'hate' me?" he asked shrugging.

She was generally surprised by the response, of all the things to pick out of her words, "I don't hate you." She repeated, bowing her head again wearily like a very aged human.

"But, before...?"

"I'm angry at you sure, you're confusing the hell out of me, but i wouldn't go as far as hate you." She stopped as he looked very confused, "Now Starscream that's a different matter." She lightly jested.

He weakly smiled, "i think i, can become accustomed to your humor."

She looked at him with a flat expression, then turned her head to the front lifting her knees up once more. "Among them..." she said thinking of his conversation before. "Were you referring to a friend, or perhaps someone more closer?"

"What?" he said slightly frowning.

"Before when you were talking about the attacks on Cybertron, you said there were civilians involved, then you said among them, but then you stopped mid sentence it suggested someone close to you particularly was killed." She said.

"Do you normally take into account what everyone says to you?" he asked.

"Yes, everything, this ship, notable places i hear other Cons mention to each other, names, times, you name it. That's what i do that's what i was taught to do. But this situation is different planetary wise, outsmarting Cons when you're running from them, hiding, even fighting them if i had to you guys have your physical flaws as well, **those **situations I've managed to get out of." she said.

Barricade took in that thought, she was definitely not naive, "Not that it's relevant to you but, it was my Sparkmate." He finally said shutting his optics slightly as he portrayed a toneless expression.

She nodded in understanding it wasn't uncommon for her to hear similar losses, "So that's why you wanted to just kill every other race?" she asked.

"i just, i couldn't contain it, all reason had gone and I'd turned into, something i didn't like, I'd never killed anything before..." he said solemnly but then suddenly became frustrated, "i don't **hate **you or any other races, i hate what I've become **because **of you." He said bitterly.

She winced inside, not just to his lifelong bitterness but also with what he has told her, the attacks from other races...something wasn't right with that information he had given her as well as what he said before. but at the moment she only thought of him and his personal troubles as she started to push her hands against his palm, then pushing her legs to move herself up, she planned to stand up though a bit wobbly as though she had come out of sedation, she then extended a hand out to him as he slightly flinched back to whatever she intended but stopped out of curiosity, she then placed her hand on his cheek, he flinched again. "by the deities I can't even imagine what you feel like right now, your face is so, bitter. But would she have wanted you to be like this?" she asked.

"You're trying to manipulate me." He lightly growled.

"No, what would be my purpose in doing so? I've checked this whole ship...there's no way out there for me to get to the Spacebridge." She said shaking her head.

Barricade softened his hard expression as she was about to pull back her hand, he stopped her by placing his hand on top of hers not wanting her to, then shut his optics slightly wincing, Ellen felt sorry for him how long has he been without any compassion in his life?

"We did not defend ourselves in time." He started as Ellen listened, "Megatron told me himself that we should not tolerate this and simply let attacks like this go over our heads while our own were being killed in the process, that shared feeling of hatred was what got me to join him and his cause but then it turned to something more, it turned to superiority over every race instead." He said still with his optics closed.

Ellen frowned to his explanation, the superiority over races sounded familiar but he's talking of those attacks again? What attacks? And Megatron told him this? Where was Barricade when these so called attacks were taking place? it was mentioned a few times that Barricade was rarely seen before the War broke out, and that he mostly worked beneath Cybertron and news rarely met there audio receptors down there. "Then why did you stay loyal to the Decepticons?" she asked just to gather as much as she can from him perhaps then it would make a little more sense.

"I thought that when we retrieved the Allspark i could-i could, revive my fallen Sparkmate, i took on as many missions as i could just to get Megatrons approval, his trust and when i was assigned with scouting Earth for the glasses..."

"You could've killed Sam." She interrupted slightly sternly.

"I would not have done so, i was merely staging it, just to scare him enough to reveal its location what i didn't count of was that, Autobot scout interfering." He said with a light growl.

"Yeah he laid a number on you." She said flatly.

"though he did not terminate me, it was foolish of him as i was able to repair my systems within hours, i kept to myself, in the shadows trying to locate them again but Starscream gave me orders to rendezvous with them and before i knew it we were in formation again retrieving the Allspark, we were on your motorway until Ironhide rammed me into that pillar the lumbering scrapheap but again they thought me to be dead, i merely repaired myself and again slipped into the shadows." He said.

"Barricade, you know neither side could win with the Allspark in play." She said.

"Yes i know and i have no ill will towards you, or the boy." He said.

"Then you know...?" she said slightly wincing in shame.

"Yes." He said.

"But, your Sparkmate?" she said.

"If she had seen what Cybertron, what we had become, i think she would've preferred to stay terminated, its better she remain in the well of Allsparks." He said "Megatron, Optimus Prime, there both as bad as each other." He stated bitterly.

Ellen bowed her head as she pondered the position she was in, as well as another physical position she was stuck in. "Er, Barricade?"

"What?"

"Can i, have my hand back please?" she said with a hang dog expression.

"M-My apologies." He said and as he looked at her expression, he looked again as she wasn't there anymore, instead a small form, cybertronian, whose frame was a light violet color, he furrowed his brow as he shook his head slowly, this must've have been a memory glitch but he had never had one for the longest time, before pledging an alliance to the Decepticons if he remembers correctly, whenever it happened this one wasn't going and he stared at it for the longest time as it held its hand up to him, he growled slightly at the sight.

"Barricade?" was what came from the small beings mouth.

"Barricade?" this time the image disappeared and was said this time by Ellen as she replaced the image of the little form, Barricade shook his head wildly.

"I-I'm fine." He said as Ellen had fell back on her knees, he cupped his other hand around her like a supporting barrier, "the question is are you?"

"Well, no." She said. He cupped the hand he was holding her in a little more whilst looking to one side then stopped just outside a door. "Hey look, after a long walk of seeing the same thing over and over we reach my quarters that looks like every other quarters." She said lazily.

he walked inside as he picked up the blanket that stood out in the middle of the room, as well as the finished rubix cube and a pyramid made from Jenga blocks he shook his head at it as he draped it over her, Ellen raised her hands up slightly as this felt routine, then she wrapped herself in it as she started shaking, "G-God its F-F-Freezing." She said rubbing the blanket up and down to get it more warmer.

Barricade made a low growling sound, "this ship is falling apart." He said to himself.

After she managed to slightly get a little more warmer, "you know you chased me as well." She said to him as he whipped his head around.

"I remember." He said looking to one side, "but i only did so because you were sticking your nose into business that was not your own, i did not mean to frighten you, but Frenzy was around and he would've have killed you mercilessly." He said.

"Oh..." she said slightly surprised to that fact, she remembered how terrifying he was, speaking in a shrieking pitch of Cybertronian, "you're pretty hard to figure out Barricade." She said as he put her down on the floor but felt slight guilt in doing so when comparing her to the metal encased environment she was in.

"I'm..." he started.

"It's okay." She said weakly as she got herself comfortable, well tried. "Barricade?"

"Yes?"

"I know it's not my place but i think you would've been alright with the parental role, if this were different circumstances..." She said weakly.

"I don't think i ever mentioned..." he started.

"I'm just saying. If you wanted to be." She interrupted but she also wanted to bring up what was on her mind but at the moment he seemed to be on good speaking terms and perhaps she has found a trump card and an ally but she wasn't taking this as a possibility just a wishful thought to begin with.

He sighed, "You need to rest now, understand?"

"You'll wake me though right? Because I'm starting to think that i might not, w-well i mean without a nudge or something, i-i don't mean as in..."

"If i need to i will, any disturbance, any change and I'll inform you." He interrupted before she continued to ramble as she shifted and cocooned herself. She still shook from the cold as she breathed out a struggling breathe. Barricade wandered over to the side, her back was facing him, he knew this room had been empty for eons for its damp and draftee environment many Cons suffered with minor rust from it, he shook his head he was personally disgusted with it, and frustrated that.

"Its fine Barricade, i can deal with the temperature." She reassured softly.

Barricade would still flinch every time she would notice his frustration even the slightest sound she was able to pick up on that, he then wiped a hand down his face, as he looked to a certain part of the floor then he started to lower his form so that he lay on his back, though he felt undignified to recharge on the floor like a beast, she had turned to face him with a weak teasing smile at his odd looking posture, he growled lowly as he focused on the ceiling.

"you not going to sleep in your own quarters?" she asked lightly interrogating him.

"i've recharged here before." He said attempting to perform such an action.

"No you haven't." She argued.

"you were too deep in recharge yourself to notice my presence." He said though he knew that would strike a nerve.

She slightly blushed out of frustration, "God damn it." she hissed going back to her normal resting position.

He turned his head slightly to look at her, she had turned her back towards him as well, even with the blanket and despite what she said her body still shook, Barricade looked towards the doors there was no one near his sensors told him that to be sure, "I'm sure you know this but unlike humans we are not as sensitive to a drop in temperature."

"What's your point?" she grunted from under her covers. He looked at his hand as he let it hover over her, "what are you doing?" she asked tiredly her answer was received as he draped his hand over, she slightly gasped as she wasn't sure what it was he was doing, but the radiated heat was almost immediate as she took relief in that, "H-Hey your hands warm." She said announcing that as the best thing since she got there. Barricade scoffed to himself for her simple description, "wait, you're just going to stay like that?" she asked.

"Yes." He simply said.

Erm okay? was what she thought as it couldn't be comfortable being in that position for long, then again, being a spy he must be used to that, "Barricade?" she started another conversation.

"What now?" he said gruffly.

"Well despite your bipolar personality as well as your choices, you saved me from Starscream, fed me, talked to me, gave me a tour even warned me of the dangers, saved me again when i nearly bled to death, even carried me here, now brand me wrong but, is that in the job description?" She said.

He let a sigh escape him though not it was so quiet it might not even be classed as a sigh, despite what she says, he was going to kill her, he felt pity but what gave him that right to pass out death so easily? "You need to know something." He started, talking to her back as she shifted slightly.

"What?"

"Before when you told me to offer a mercy for that Autobot, i was about to do the same to you." He put it bluntly.

"You, were going to shoot me?" she asked with a tone of bewilderment but not that much.

"Yes."

She was still and silent, as they both could only hear the loud creaking sounds of the ship as if it was about to tilt over and fall off the face of the planet. She was still silent and though in reality only moments had passed it had made him feel anxious, "Well..." she finally started saying softly, "tell me why?"

"Why?" he sneered of all answers to be being terminated she asked why?

"Was it an order from Megatron?"

"No."

"You just wanted to do it." she questioned again getting some kind of honest answer from him.

"No." He snapped this time.

"then why? If you didn't just want to do it, neither was it on orders, then why?" she demanded this time.

"You are going to suffer just as that Autobot did; i thought i could give you the same kind of mercy." He said.

"If you were a Con, you'd be content with my suffering, but you chose to end my suffering despite the fact that you would suffer the consequences after, a conscious regret." She said.

"Stop trying to find anything to me." He growled.

"I don't want to." She replied softly, "however..." she started seriously, "you think I'm just going to let that whole pointing a gun at me slide, then you **really **have got problems." She blurted.

She turned around to face him this time as he expressed the awkward moment for him from his face alone, "i still don't understand you fully, but i know why they keep you." He said changing his draping hand to a gentle hold on her form, she slightly shrugged as her eyes closed; they were so heavy she couldn't even protest. "I never got to name her." He finished recalling his memory glitch.

"Huh?" she said with eyes shut.

"Nothing, just rest now." he said simply.

She just answered with silence as she thought of the 'attacks' now it frustrated her, she was told of terrorism some other races would try to steal what they had because of how advanced they were in technology sure, but they were minor attacks and she was never told of a huge attack on the cities, if anything his sparkmate was a part of the Decepticon attacks that led to it, how is it Barricade thinks that other races are to blame? Even if Megatron was the source it seems every other Con knows this too.

And for what? To have a loyal spy? _"even if i can't get to the Space bridge, Barricade is as much a victim as i am, but to tell him?"_

* * *

**A/N *shuns self* from encouragement i've finally gotten the next chapter up, and yeah this is about Barricade as well, i don't know besides any incarnation of him, in the movies he's just glanced over so i thought to do my own thing with him :) well lets hope i get my rear into gear and upload the next chapter faster then this one. ;)  
**


End file.
